Seattle Unity Sermon Video 03-31-2019—”The Soul of Community”

Rev. Karen Lindvig’s Sermon
“The Soul of Community”

Sunday Service Video March 31th 2019—“The Soul of Community”—Here is the link and player to Rev. Karen Lindvig’s sermon of 03-31-2019 along with two other videos of the annual introduction of our Board of Trustees, and the reading, by Terry Dupras.

The Annual Theme for Rev. Karen Lindvig’s 2019 sermons is “Riding the Tide of Impermanence.” This sermon is titled “The Soul of Community.” In it, Karen describes the move to our new temporary home at Metropolist in the historic Ederer Building on 1st Avenue South. (See their website: https://metropolistgroup.com/ ). She details how a spiritual community, as a unified body of individuals, is much more than a…(see more below)

Plus our community welcomes and blesses our Board of Trustees, as they publicly proclaim their commitment to the community as Board members. That video is followed by a reading by Terry Dupras.

http://seattleunity.org — The Annual Theme for Rev. Karen Lindvig’s 2019 sermons is “Riding the Tide of Impermanence.” This sermon is titled “The Soul of Community.” In it, Karen describes the move to our new temporary home at Metropolist in the historic Ederer Building on 1st Avenue South. (See their website: https://metropolistgroup.com/ ). She details how a spiritual community, as a unified body of individuals, is much more than a building. She added that our Seattle Unity Spiritual Community includes the prayers that are shared, the songs that are sung, the tears that are shed and the connections that are made within the community that dwells within our building, wherever we happen to be. Karen went on to elaborate on the nature of the soul of our community through stories of other communities; our common purposes. She invoked ideas from Thich Nhat Hanh, from Jesus and his salt metaphor, interpreted as that which gives flavor to one another through compassion and kindness, and more. Then Karen invited a number of married couples who were married within our community to tell stories of how they met. Johnnie Woods and Terry Dupras, Bill Evans and Diane Gasal, Christi Randolph and James Tierney, and also Cindy McComish all spoke. Karen concluded her sermon with an appeal to continue to develop different aspects of our community that comprise its developing soul.

Quotations related to this sermon:

Pope John Paul II:
“A community needs a soul if it is to become a true home for human beings. You, the people must give it this soul.”

Matthew 5:13:
“You are the salt of the Earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

Thich Nhat Hanh:
“The essence of a sangha is awareness, understanding, acceptance, harmony and love. A true sangha should be like a family in which there is a spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood. If we see a group of people living mindfully, capable of smiling, of loving, we gain confidence in our future. The presence of a sangha is a wonderful opportunity to allow the collective energy of the sangha to penetrate into our body and consciousness. We profit a lot from that collective energy.”

Terry Dupras Reading “God Creates Buildings”:

Here is the text of the reading:

God Creates Buildings

Jim Eychaner

God creates buildings to help bring about the perfect unfolding of the Universe.

• To shelter and protect families and individuals.
• To gather people together for the sharing of knowledge.
• And to provide a place of worship, wherein God is acknowledged in prayer, meditation, praise and thanks.

A church is a window on the consciousness of the Universe. It is a place where we formally remind ourselves of the spiritual reality of human life.

A church building is akin to a human body. The body functions, but the true life and direction come from the soul dwelling within.

If the church building is akin to the human body, then the membership that builds, maintains, and directs the building and its activities is akin to the human soul.
The building is the body, and the people the soul.

Without people, the building is as lifeless as the raw materials would have been if left unappreciated and undeveloped.

So the two — structure and people — are mingled as one. The people bring the beauty, durability, and utility of the building to life.

So the cycle of blessing is continuous and eternal;
God giving life to people who give life to material objects to bring about Gods purposes.

It is our privilege now to acknowledge that cycle, to accept our blessings, and to give thanks.

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Author Corner

Karen Lindvig

Spiritual leader of Seattle Unity since 1990, Karen ‘s spirituality combines wisdom, compassion, and mysticism. A world-class mentor, her insights have led many into deeper knowledge of themselves, their gifts, and their talents.
Karen practices yoga and astrology and remains a devoted Cubs fan.revkaren@comcast.net